Hull construction for watercraft

ABSTRACT

A hull for a watercraft, and in particular for a sport boat, adapted to ally both stability and instability without sacrificing or opposing one to the other; this being achieved by forming a transverse bottom outline which combines typical rounded and substantially planar bottom portions transversely adjacent each other, with the planar outline portions extending on opposite sides of the rounded portion lengthwise of the hull, elevated relative to the rounded portion and forming inflections therewith and longitudinally thereof. The planar outline portions are arranged to provide dynamic sustentation upon impact thereon of waves produced by the suitably shaped bow portion. The hull further includes a top deck forming section defining longitudinally reinforcing wall portions, footrest depressions on opposite sides of a central longitudinal seat supporting boss, and a trench-like depression extending lengthwise of the hull to recess the control links therein.

ties Ptet [1 1 ombardier et ai.

[ Feb. 12, T97 1 HULL CONSTRUCTION FOR WATERCRAFT [73] Assignee: GermainBombardier, by said Aiphonse Bombardier and Gerard Bombardier, St,Mathias, Quebec, Canada 22 Filed: jan. 24, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 220,140

[52] U.S. Cll. 9/6, 115/70 [51] Int. CL; 361% 5/00 [58] Field of Search9/6, 310 R, 310 B; 115/70,

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,287,732 4/1961 France 14/56 PrimaryExaminer-George E. A. Halvosa Assistant Examiner-S. D. Basinger [57]TRACT A hull for a watercraft, and in particular for a sport boat,adapted to ally both stability and instability without sacrificing oropposing one to the other; this being achieved by forming a transversebottom outline which combines typical rounded and substantially planarbottom portions transversely adjacent each other, with the planaroutline portions extending on opposite sides of the rounded portionlengthwise of the hull, elevated relative to the rounded portion andforming inflections therewith and longitudinally thereof. The planaroutline portions are arranged to provide dynamic sustentation uponimpact thereon of waves produced by the suitably shaped bow portion. Thehull further includes a top deck forming section defining longitudinallyreinforcing wall portions, footrest depressions on opposite sides of acentral longitudinal seat supporting boss, and a trench-like depressionextending lengthwise of the hull to recess the control links therein.

41 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures Patented Feb. 12, 1974 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Patented Feb. 12, 1974 4 Sheet t 2 Patented Feb. 12, 1974 4 Sheets-Sheet1 HULL C NSTRUCTION FOR WATERC This invention relates to a watercraft,and more particularly to a novel hull construction for a watercraft ofthe sport boat type.

So far, the hullof a watercraft and in particular of a sport boat hasbeen made of one or another typical transverse cross-sectional bottomoutline such as a rounded bottom like a canoe, or a substantially planarbottom.

It is well known that a transversely rounded bottom outline produces aboat with inherent transverse instability while a substantially planaror flat bottom outline produces a boat having essentially transversestability. As far as we know, nobody has yet proposed to combine asubstantially planar bottom outline with a substantially rounded bottomoutline, particularly in a sport boat, in a manner to get the benefitsof both outlines without substantial counteraction between the twooutlines, as far as the transverse stability is inboat is high-poweredand therefore special considerations must be given to obtain sufficientstability for the safety of its users, nearby swimmers, and other boats.So far, all attempts have been unsuccessful to produce a sport boatwhich is highly maneuverable and thrilling while being also safe againstoverturning.

The present invention is based on the novel concept of combining theabove two typical rounded and substantially planar bottom outlineswithout adversely affecting or impairing the function of one outline bythe other. The above new and unexpected result is achieved byappropriate arrangement of the above outlines one relative to the otherto form a bottom hull outline giving both the maneuverability expectedfrom a sport boat and the desired and recommended safety.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a watercraft havinga hull constructed and arranged to ally both stability and instabilitywithout sacrificing one to the other.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a boat,particularly a sport boat, with a hull having a transversecross-sectional outline combining both a rounded and a substantiallyplanar bottom outline without substantial counteraction of one on theother as far as transverse stability is concerned.

It is another object of the invention to provide a hull having asuitable outline and lateral planar surfaces arranged to act as wingsproducing dynamic sustentation of the boat or watercraft.

It is another object of the invention to provide a hull of simple butadvantageous construction forming a sealed buoyant enclosure adapted tocarry all the power and control components ex'teriorly thereof and intoeasily accessible depressions therein to optimize accessibility to thosecomponents.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a hull with asuitable transverse cross-sectional outline'to 2 define lateral edgesacting as keels upon sharp turning of the boat in one direction or theother.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a watercraftincluding a hull having a deck forming section made of a single piecedefining a plurality of longitudinally reinforcing wall portions formingdepressed footrest deck portions and a central longitudinal bossarranged to provide a seat and a'longitudinal trench-like depression forthe control links running fore and aft of the boat.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be morereadily understood in the light of the following detailed description ofa preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated, by way ofexample only, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a sport boat having a hull accordingto the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the boat shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view as seen along line 3-3 inFIG. 5;

FIG. 4 is a partial view of FIG. 1 illustrating to accessibility to anoutboard motor powering the boat;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the hull without any powering or controlelement thereon; and

FIGS. 6 to 9 inclusive are transverse cross-sectional views as seenalong lines 66 to 99 respectively in FIG. 5 to better illustrate theconstruction of the hull.

Referring in details to the drawings, the sport boat illustratedincludes a hull having a bottom section 1 and a top deck forming section2 which are formed with complementary peripheral edges 3 and 4respectively which abut and are sealed together by bonding or the like.As will be understood later, each of the two hull sections is made of asingle piece suitably molded to cooperate with the other to form asealed buoyant enclosure having foamedmaterial 5 therein and providedwith a drainage opening 6 to drain out any water that might find its waywithin the hollow hull structure.

The bottom hull section 1 has a bow portion 7 which is taperingforwardly both in height and width and which has a transversecross-sectional outline of downwardly pointing V shape, as shown in FIG.6.

The main hull portion extending aftward of the bow portion 7 and mergingwith the latter includes a transversely rounded bottom outline 8extending substantially the full length of the main hull portion andcentrally thereof. The rounded bottom outline 8 is flanked on oppositesides by a pair of stabilizing portions 9 extending lengthwise of thehull and having substantially planar bottom outlines, as best seen inFIGS. 7, 8 and 9 which illustrate that each of said stabilizing portionshas a bottom surface which is flat and straight transversely andlongitudinally of the hull and that said bottom surface is substantiallyparallel to the bottom surface of the main hull portion throughout thelength of the latter. It must be noted, as can be seen in these latterFigures, that the planar stabilizing portions 9 are elevated withrespect to the rounded portion 8 and merge with the latter forming aninflection line extending longitudinally of the hull on each side of thecentral tween a convex and a concave surfaces. Obviously, in-

flection here is meant to extend not only to a merging between a convexand concave surfaces but also to other types of breaks between therounded and the substantially planar bottom outlines. Preferably thewidth of the planar bottom portions is between one-sixteenth andone-twelfth of the overall width of the main hull portion.

From examination of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, it may be seen that the transversebottom outline of the main hull portion is a composite outline resultingfrom superposition of a transverse rounded bottom outline and asubstantially flat bottom outline with the latter elevated relative tothe former as indicated by the phantom lines 8' and 9 shown in FIG. 9.It can therefore be seen that by arranging the substantially planarbottom portions on opposite sides of the rounded bottom portion andelevated relative thereto, the boat normally floats as a canoe and isrelatively unstable and easy to maneuver and as soon as the hull isinclined on one side, the corresponding flat bottom portion 9 dips intothe water and the boat becomes stabilized and substantially impossibleto be overturned.

The sides 10 of the hull defined by abutting edge portions of thesections 1 and 2 extend substantially orthogonally relative to theplanar bottom portions 9 and thence each one acts as a keel with thecorresponding planar bottom portion 9 upon dipping of the latter asmentioned above. This becomes particularly useful, when turning in onedirection or the other, to prevent overturning of the boat and has beenfound effective even for the sharpest turns where the boat is soinclined that the shoulder of the user comes to within a few inches fromthe surface of the water.

A keel ll of wood or any suitable material is longitudinally securedinto a central longitudinal groove 12 into the bottom hull section 1.

Rigidifying bars 13 are preferably also provided to strengthen thebottom surface of the hull.

The top deck forming portion 2 defines a plurality of wall portions orpartitions 14 and 15 extending lengthwise of the hull and laterallyupwardly thereby forming longitudinal reinforcement of the hull. Thewall portions 14 form a central longitudinal boss 16 extending fore andaft and flanked on opposite sides by a pair of depressions each having afootrest deck 17 at the bottom thereof. It will be noted that thefootrest decks 17 are arranged near the hull bottom section 1 to obtaina low center of gravity. The wall portions 15 form a trench-likedepression into the top of the central longitudinal boss 16 to recesscontrol links 18 therein. A seat 19 is mounted onto the boss 16 andcovers the depression therein. A recess or depression 20 is formed intothe front of the section 2 and arranged to hold a gas tank recessedtherein. A cover or panel 21 is provided to close the cavity 20. Anotherdepression 22 is formed into the section 2 intermediate the depressionsfor the gas tank and for the control links 18 and is arranged to holdthe controls for the boat or watercraft. The trench-like depressionextends fore and aft and communicates with the depression 22 for thecontrols. The latter may include for instance an handlebar 23 of thebicycle or motorcycle type, a clutch lever 24 and suitable indicatorsand switches which are arranged to control and steer an outboard motor25 suitably mounted onto the hull structure. The motor 25 and thecontrols therefor do not form part of the present invention and will notbe further defined herein.

It must be appreciated that the top deck forming section 2 is formedsuch that all controls and the motor are supported exteriorly thereofand are therefore easily accessible for maintenance. A hood 26 ispivotally mounted to cover the motor 25 and to give access thereto. Abackrest 27 is fixed against the front wall of the motor hood 26 topivot with the latter thereby giving a clear access to the motor 25 frominside the boat for the convenience of the user.

Particularly from FIG. 2, it may be seen that the lateral edge portionsof the top hull section 2 forms longitudinal bumps 28 extendinglengthwise along the outer edges of the hull. Draining channels 29 areprovided on each side of the motor 25 to allow most of the waterentering into the depressions for the footrests 17 to escape freely atthe rear when the boat is in operation causing the bow to raise.

The boat may be operated by the user either comfortably seated orstanding up with one foot onto each footrest deck 17. Upon merelyswaying his body right or left, the user may steer the boat without eventurning the handlebar 23. As explained before such easy maneuverabilityis due to the rounded central portion.

We claim:

1. In a watercraft, a hull comprising a bottom section including a bowportion of forwardly tapering shape having a transverse cross-sectionalbottom outline of generally V-shape and a main hull portion merging withsaid bow portion and having a central longitudinal portion of convexrounded transverse cross-sectional bottom outline, and laterallongitudinal stabilizing portions flanking said central longitudinalportion and extending laterally away therefrom on opposite sides thereofrespectively, each of said stabilizing portions having a bottom surfacewhich is flat and straight transversely and longitudinally of the hull,said bottom surface being substantially parallel to the bottom surfaceof the main hull portion throughout the length of the latter, eachbottom surface of said stabilizing portions being upwardly inclinedtransversely of the hull and defining a longitudinally extendinginflection with said central longitudinal portion, said bottom surfacesof said stabilizing portions lying above the waterline of the hull, andfurther including a deck forming section co-extensive with said bottomsection peripherally sealed to the latter and forming a fully enclosedfluid-tight buoyant enclosure therewith, s'aid deck forming sectionforming a central boss extending longitudinally of the hull, a pair offoot-rest depressions extending lengthwise of said central longitudinalboss on opposite sides thereof respectively, and lateral bumps extendinglengthwise of said hull along the outer lateral sides thereof, said bosshaving a trench-like longitudinal depression extending lengthwisethereof to the stern of the hull and adapted for recessing watercraftcontrols therein exterior of said fluid-tight buoyant enclosure and forexterior connection of the same with an outboard motor at the stern,said deck forming section having a recess therein forward of saidlongitudinal depression, in communication with the latter and arrangedto recess a fuel tank therein on the exterior of said fluid-tightbuoyant enclosure, said trench-like longitudinal depression and saidrecess opening upwardly at the top of said deck forming section inlongitudinal alignment with each other, a seat mounted on top of saidcentral boss over said depression and a cover engaging over said recessing aftward with said bow portion, a deck forming section co-extensivewith said bottom section, peripherally sealed to the latter and forminga fully enclosed fluidtight buoyant enclosure therewith, each of saiddeck forming section and said bottom section being formed into a singlepiece and said sections having complementary peripheral edges engagingin sealed abutment against each other, said deck forming section havingan upwardly projecting central boss extending longitudinally of saidhull and the latter having a trench-like longitudinal depressionextending lengthwise thereof to the stern of the hull and adapted forrecessing watercraft controls therein on the exterior of saidfluid-tight buoyant enclosure and for exterior connection of the same toan outboard motor at the stem.

3. A watercraft as defined in claim 2, wherein said deck forming sectionhas a recess therein forward of said depression, in communication withthe latter and arranged to recess a fuel tank therein on the exterior ofsaid fluid-tight buoyant enclosure.

close the latter.

1. In a watercraft, a hull comprising a bottom section including a bowportion of forwardly tapering shape having a transverse cross-sectionalbottom outline of generally V-shape and a main hull portion merging withsaid bow portion and having a central longitudinal portion of convexrounded transverse cross-sectional bottom outline, and laterallongitudinal stabilizing portions flanking said central longitudinalportion and extending laterally away therefrom on opposite sides thereofrespectively, each of said stabilizing portions having a bottom surfacewhich is flat and straight transversely and longitudinally of the hull,said bottom surface being substantially parallel to the bottom surfaceof the main hull portion throughout the length of the latter, eachbottom surface of said stabilizing portions being upwardly inclinedtransversely of the hull and defining a longitudinally extendinginflection with said central longitudinal portion, said bottom surfacesof said stabilizing portions lying above the waterline of the hull, andfurther including a deck forming section co-extensive with said bottomsection peripherally sealed to the latter and forming a fully enclosedfluid-tight buoyant enclosure therewith, said deck forming sectionforming a central boss extending longitudinally of the hull, a pair offoot-rest depressions extending lengthwise of said central longitudinalboss on opposite sides thereof respectively, and lateral bumps extendinglengthwise of said hull along the outer lateral sides thereof, said bosshaving a trenchlike longitudinal depression extending lengthwise thereofto the stern of the hull and adapted for recessing watercraft controlstherein exterior of said fluid-tight buoyant enclosure and for exteriorconnection of the same with an outboard motor at the stern, said deckforming section having a recess therein forward of said longitudinaldepression, in communication with the latter and arranged to recess afuel tank therein on the exterior of said fluid-tight buoyant enclosure,said trench-like longitudinal depression and said recess openingupwardly at the top of said deck forming section in longitudinalalignment with each other, a seat mounted on top of said central bossover said depression and a cover engaging over said recess to close thelatter.
 2. In a watercraft, a hull comprising a bottom section includinga bow portion and a main hull portion merging aftward with said bowportion, a deck forming section co-extensive with said bottom section,peripherally sealed to the latter and forming a fully enclosedfluid-tight buoyant enclosure therewith, each of said deck formingsection and said bottom section being formed into a single piece andsaid sections having complementary peripheral edges engaging in sealedabutment against each other, said deck forming section having anupwardly projecting central boss extending longitudinally of said hulland the Latter having a trench-like longitudinal depression extendinglengthwise thereof to the stern of the hull and adapted for recessingwatercraft controls therein on the exterior of said fluid-tight buoyantenclosure and for exterior connection of the same to an outboard motorat the stern.
 3. A watercraft as defined in claim 2, wherein said deckforming section has a recess therein forward of said depression, incommunication with the latter and arranged to recess a fuel tank thereinon the exterior of said fluid-tight buoyant enclosure.
 4. A watercraftas defined in claim 3, wherein said trench-like longitudinal depressionand said recess open upwardly at the top of said deck forming section, aseat is mounted on top of said central boss over said depression and acover engages over said recess to close the latter.